**early life and education** avni arbaş, a turkish painter of circassian descent, was born in istanbul in 1919. he attended the academy of fine arts from 1940 to 1946, where he studied under léopold lévy. this period marked the beginning of his involvement with the new painters group. **artistic style and themes** arbaş is renowned for his captivating depictions of daily life in turkey, the turkish war of independence, the bosphorus, f…